OTTAWA (Reuters) – New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday he was available for a call with U.S. President Donald Trump but would do so “on our terms as a sovereign country”.
Carney was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Party on March 9, automatically becoming prime minister. Calls with the U.S. president traditionally take place soon afterwards but the two men have yet to speak.
“I’m available for a call, but you know, we’re going to talk on our terms as a sovereign country, not as what he pretends we are,” Carney told reporters in Newfoundland on the second day of a general election campaign.
Trump has threatened tariffs on Canadian exports and often muses about annexing Canada, comments which Carney says are disrespectful and unhelpful.
Carney also said he assumed Trump was waiting to see the result before calling the winner.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, William Maclean)
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